How much time should I set aside for my girlfriend without coming across as clingy?

Having a relationship can be confusing, especially in your teens. One of the signs of a good relationship is for you and your girlfriend to talk and see how well you agree on how much time to spend together. If you disagree a lot about this, it may be a sign that there is not a good balance in the relationship. Please keep in mind that you should both make sure you spend enough time on your schoolwork, activities, family and friendships. Coming across as clingy may be different than feeling clingy or actually being clingy. If you actually feel clingy or act in a clingy way, you may want to talk to a counselor as this could present problems in relationships as you get older. But you may just be feeling your way along, trying to figure out how to be in a relationship. Talking with your girlfriend is a good start.

Young Men’s Health (YMH) is produced by the Division of Adolescent and Young Adult Medicine at Boston Children’s Hospital. The purpose of the website is to provide carefully researched health information to teenage boys and young men.